Easy low carb grilled garlic parmesan zucchini

The perfect low carb parmesan goodness on a plate. Take a bite to indulge in cheesy zucchini and your taste buds will love the hit of garlic and jalapeño. This easy low carb grilled garlic parmesan zucchini is a fabulous keto side dish for BBQs and picnics.

This post may include Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Seriously, I eat this stuff off the pan like candy. And do you know what? I’m going to tell you a little secret. I have a love-hate relationship with zucchini. Gasp. Yes, it’s true. 

As someone who adores having a garden, I LOVE it because zucchini is one of those plants that seem to thrive no matter what you throw at it. I can kill everything else in the garden, and I’ll still get a million zucchini I don’t always know what to do with.

A lot of people go on the keto diet to lose weight, but it’s not just for that. It can also help with diabetes and other health issues. Zucchini is a low carb vegetable so it fits in well with this type of diet. The two most common ways to prepare zucchini are grilling or sauteeing; both have their advantages and disadvantages. Grilled garlic parmesan zucchini tastes delicious!

The post will be about how you can make grilled garlic parmesan zucchini if you’re on a keto diet or want to try something new for dinner tonight!

Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe or PIN it here for later!

Keto zucchini recipes

Yes, I love anticipating the first garden zucchini of the year. What don’t I love? Eating the hundredth zucchini of the summer. Unfortunately, I grow less enthusiastic about zucchini as the summer progresses.

Truly, you can always love zucchini muffins, bars, bread, what have you, but what’s a challenge for me is how to enjoy zucchini cooked, savory, or on its own.

That’s where this easy low carb grilled garlic parmesan zucchini recipe is a small miracle! It’s really that good. Try it.

The idea of a vegetable garden is often overwhelming to people, but it doesn’t have to be. A small patch in your backyard can provide you with fresh produce all summer long and help you stick to your keto or low carb diet. Wondering what to plant in your keto vegetable garden?

🍽 Equipment

To make low carb grilled garlic parmesan zucchini you’ll need:

• a baking sheet
• foil
• a grill, oven, or air fryer
• a knife
• a cutting board
• mandoline slicer (optional)

That’s about all you’ll need for kitchen gadgets!

🥘 Ingredients in keto parmesan zucchini

• zucchini
• garlic
• olive oil
• jalapeño (optional)
• salt
• pepper

🔪 Instructions: how to make grilled parmesan zucchini

To begin, I have to give credit for the inspiration of this recipe to my friend and fellow gardener Melissa. It’s funny, because whenever friends with gardens, who like to eat, get together in summer the subject inevitably turns to what to do with all that zucchini!

Or maybe it’s just me and my friends. Anyway, all I know is I like to discuss zucchini recipes, and Melissa’s ideas are pretty fabulous.

How to make low carb grilled garlic parmesan zucchini

First, take out a baking sheet and line it with foil. Preheat the grill or oven to 400F.

Second, get out the olive oil and brush 2 tablespoons over the foil to coat it pretty evenly. Then take your cutting board and knife or mandoline slicer to slice the zucchini in slices about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch thick.

Take the slices and spread them out all over to cover the baking sheet. Push the zucchini slices close together to make sort of a base for the toppings.

Then, use the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to drizzle or brush on the zucchini. Once that’s complete salt and pepper the zucchini to taste.

Then, sprinkle the minced garlic all over the zucchini so each piece has at least a little bit of garlic to flavor it.

Parmesan cheese and jalapeño!

Now’s the fun part! Take a good cup of grated parmesan cheese and spread it all over, then top with slices of jalapeño. If you are not one for spicy peppers leave the jalapeño off, but let me tell you it’s pretty darn good with the zucchini and cheese.

💭 Top tip

Tip: As another option, if you’d just like to tone down the heat, you can remove the membrane and seeds from inside the pepper then slice it over the cheese.

⏲️ Baking time

Next, grab the edges of the foil with the zucchini and toppings and slide it off the baking sheet and onto the grill on medium-high heat for twenty minutes or until the edges begin to brown and cheese melts.

OR if you don’t wish to use a grill, you can bake in a 400 degree (F) oven for twenty to twenty-five minutes or until again, the edges are brown.

A good rule of thumb? Either way you do it, keep an eye on it. Grills and ovens can vary in temperature.

👩‍🍳 Variations

One reason I love this recipe is that it’s so versatile. It’s easy to change up the cheese and toppings with what you have in the refrigerator.

First, it’s easy to switch out the cheese. If you don’t have parmesan, use white cheddar, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, or provolone. Or experiment any other cheese. It’s hard to go wrong.

Second, change up the toppings. Add pepperoni on the mozzarella cheese for a pizza style. Or, use my favorite Everything Bagel Seasoning on top of white cheddar, my husband’s favorite.

♨️ Air fryer instructions

Since I got my Ninja Foodi, I’ve been addicted to the air crisper (air fryer) setting. With this glorious machine, I don’t have to heat the oven in the house or the grill outside. Mind blown. I LOVE this thing.

Lately, I cook everything from this low carb garlic parmesan zucchini, to chicken legs, to keto zucchini bread in the machine. It makes my life a lot easier.

When the zucchini is sliced between 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch thick, I arrange it on the trays, put on the toppings, and preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.

I’ve found it’s best to cook the zucchini for about 9 minutes at 390 degrees. Experiment with your own air fryer and to your own preferences.

What else do you make with zucchini?

So do you garden? Are your zucchini as abundant as ours this year? We’ve actually been through three pretty big hailstorms this year which has stopped many things from growing but not the zucchini. It’s definitely a hardy, strong plant, and the whole family loves it!

How do you prefer it? Salty or sweet? Zoodles or bars? Try this recipe out, and if you can get the kids to at least try it I will bet even they’ll gobble it up. Until next time!

Tag me in your recipe pics on Instagram @explorermomma.

If you LOVE this recipe please consider giving it a good rating in the review area below!

🥗 Keto veggie recipes:

Keto Antipasto Salad

Georgian Eggplant with Walnuts

Cheesy Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna

Instant Pot Keto Egg Stuffed Bell Peppers

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please be aware I am not a medical specialist or nutritional professional. On this blog, I share recipes and what works for me. Please do not take anything on this blog as medical advice and always consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

I use MyFitnessPal.com to calculate nutrition facts as a courtesy to my readers, and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count because does not affect my own blood glucose levels.

This is as accurate as possible, but it’s best to independently calculate nutritional information on your own with the specific ingredients you use. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.